Brett Claxton's Reviews
Final Fantasy VII Remake is easily one of the best RPGs of this generation.
Whereas some remakes try to add in new things the Demon’s Souls remake seems to work more on making itself the best it can be whilst staying true to the source material. It succeeds in doing so.
Dark Room is the strongest episode of Life is Strange. It leaves you wanting to see what happens to Max Caulfield and the rest of Arcadia Bay whilst also delivering a truly entertaining slice of gaming.
Despite the shortcomings of the game, when it gets it right it really gets it right. The main story is nowhere near as interesting as finding out about Noctis, Prompto, Ignis and Gladioulus as you slowly progress through the world. The building of the characters and their silly conversations will last longer in your memory than most of the main story beats. The combat is slick and fun, the dungeons are some of the best ever in a Final Fantasy game and the graphics are lovely. It will be interesting to see how Final Fantasy XV evolves over the next year through DLC and patches. For now though it is a lovely experience. Warts and all.
The continued development of Max and Chloe as a crime solving duo is handled in a way that really makes you care for both of them. Time travel and its consequences are also being explored brilliantly, with the weight of each decision requiring you to really think things through.
Life Is Strange is on an interesting path at the moment. Its second episode throws bigger decisions at you than the first and it will leave you racking your brain to try and figure out what the outcome will be in future episodes. Whatever may happen Life Is Strange is looking to be the kind of game that you will go back to more than once, just to see if you did something else would everything be OK.
The fact that the game feels so different when playing it in single player and playing it co-operatively though is part of what makes it great. There are some niggly issues, such as jumping being a bit awkward at times and the physics being a bit temperamental, but with many levels to playthrough, routes to find and speed runs to master Chariot easily compensates for its downfalls.
Polarized is not the perfect ending that some might've hoped for but it's a very strong finale. It carries a lot of the problems the other episodes did but they are issues that feel small in the grand scheme of things. The issues addressed narratively are situations that not many games have been brave enough to explore. That's something that can be said for the game as a whole. For that alone Life is Strange deserves to be applauded.
If you’re a fan of story rich games, 3D brawlers or just content rich games then Yakuza 0 should be on your radar. Some may be put off by the lack of an English voice acting option but, as previously stated, the localisation team have done a great job in making it a joy to read and genuinely funny in places. There’s so much to do and being able to partake in the story of the series from the very beginning makes it great for newcomers too. If you’re looking for something you can spend hours exploring and still not see it all, then Yakuza 0 is definitely something worth your consideration.
If you're a fan of the crime genre, whether it's in videogame, television, film or book form, this is definitely a game for you. It's easy to pick up but difficult to put down and will leave you wanting to discuss and analyse it even when you're not playing.
There’s so much on offer in It Takes Two and it does it all so well. If you’re looking for a new game to play with your friend or partner then It Takes Two should be at the top of your list. It’s a delight.
The PlayStation 4 instalment is the best version of Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster and although both games have their flaws and are a bit dated, they are still extremely solid JRPGs. The fact that you can now get the ultimate version of both games in something that costs less than £40 is great. Especially when you consider the 100+ hour's worth of gameplay the game has to offer.
If you're a fan of teenage dramas like Rushmore, Juno and The Breakfast Club and happen to also have a love for games like The Walking Dead, Beyond: Two Souls and Heavy Rain, this first episode is well worth your time. It's not a game that everyone will enjoy, despite it being easy for all to pick up but, for those it does click with, they won't be disappointed.
Greed is a dangerous thing in strategy games and dungeon crawlers and Darkest Dungeon plays on it well. It's always dangling a carrot in front of you, encouraging you to go further despite the fact that further may mean your demise. If you're a fan of strategy games and classic horror settings then Darkest Dungeon is a no brainer.
It's hard to really pinpoint who will enjoy Blood Bowl 2 the most. Strategy, board game and American Football fans will all get something from it. Still, it's worth trying your hand at it even if you're not a fan of those genres. The main issue with the game is the steep learning curve and the length of the matches. If you're someone with limited time this probably isn't the game for you. If you do have the time for such a big commitment though, then you're in for a treat.
SOMA is a game that will sit in the memory for a while despite its shortcomings. The sound design, world building and story deserve to rightfully become a footnote in videogame design. Frictional Games do so much right creating a science fiction story. It falls short at times when trying to be a more traditional horror, but the highs certainly outweigh the lows. It's an impressive console debut, and I can't wait to see what the developers create next.
When it comes to immersive experiences Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is definitely one worth exploring and will leave you pondering it even after you've finished. It's a nostalgic, sci-fi mystery and is one of the finest indie games to grace the PlayStation 4 in 2015.
Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 Remix is one of the best remaster packages around. Even to this day the series firmly stands the test of time and it’s great having so much of it in one place.
If you're a fan of the XCOM series, or just love squad based strategy games, then XCOM 2 is easily worth picking up. It's brutally hard at times, sometimes leaning on the side of unfair, but it's an experience that will keep you going back for more. There's plenty to tinker with and it's a lot of fun, but the flaws of the console versions make it hard to recommend them over the PC version.
Tharsis is an addictive digital board game, and one that I see as tricky to replicate in real life. It's because of this that the game really shines. One run of the game is normally fairly quick and, even if it's all going wrong you can get something from it due to crew unlocks. The speed of a run means that it slides in to that "just one more game" territory so well you'll be going back to it for a while. It's got a few issues, but for the most part it's a great way to spend some time.